Trolley switch



Jan. 22, 1924. 1,481,715

C. B. JENKINS TROLLEY SWITCH Fil ed July 25 1923 Y c. ffy/(INS mveh'mn ATTORE EY Patented Jan. 22, 1924.

UNITED STATES CHARLES B. JENKINS. or MonaeNfrowN, WEST VIRGINIA.

TROLLEY SWITCH.

Application led July 25, 1923. Serial No. 653,76'7.

ToaZZ whom t 'may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES B. JENKINS,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Morgantown, in the county of Monongalia a and State of West Virginia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Trolley Switches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to switches, and

more particularly to what I term a trolley switch. e One of the ma-in objects of the invention is to provide a switch of simple construction and operation specially adapted for use in coal mines for automatically cutting off the current to a trolley wire leading into the side passagesror to the heading in the mine, so as to prevent leakage of current. A further object is to provide a switch of the character stated which may be readily produced and installed atsmall cost and which can be quickly and easily operated by hand when required. Further objects will appear from the detail description.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a side view of the switch;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view;

Fig. 3 is a section taken substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Y

Fig. 4 is a section taken substantially on line 4-4 of Fig. l. Y

The switch includes a block or base 1 of seasoned and varnished wood or other suitable electrical insulating material. Bolts 2 35 are secured the upper face of this block or base providing means for securing the lll base to the mine roof, though it will be un-h destood that any other suitable or preferred means for supporting the base may be pro- 'ii vided. At each endof the under face of base 1 I provide a socket member 3 which is adapted to receive the end portion of a trolley wire 4 secured yin the member 3 by means of a set screw 5 or in vany other suitable `or preferred manner. Two resilient jaws 6 extend from each of the socket members 3, and the lower edges ofthese jaws are preferably rounded or beveled downwardly and outwardly at 6a. A switch 50 bladey7 is rockably mounted at its central portion,` at 8, in a bracket 9 secured to the under face of base 1 midway between socket members 3. Blade 7 is formed of two arms 7a and 7 which are disposed at an upwardly l directed obtuse angle to each other, and this blade is positioned to operate in the plane of the socket members, the end portion of arm 7 L fitting snugly between the jaws 6 of the adjacent socket member 3 when blade 7 is rocked into one operative position so as to raise arm 7, this arm being withdrawn from between the jaws 6 when the blade is rocked in the other direction as in Fig. 1. As will be noted more clearly from Fig. 1, the arms 7a and 7*' are so relatively disposed that, when either arm is raised, it is in horizontal position and is in alignment with the socket with which this arm cooperates. Arm 7b is provided, at. its outer end, with an upwardly projecting arcuate Contact member 10 which connects arm 7b to an upper arm 11 extending from the central portion of blade 7, arms'7" and 11 forming with contact member 10 a substantially triangular frame the base portion or member 10 of which operates between and is at all times in Contact with jaws 6 0f the adjacent socket member 3. The block 1 is provided with a cut-out or groove extending from its under face to accommodate this frame so as to permit rocking of blade 7 about pivot 8 for raising or lowering either of the arms 7EL or 7b, selectively.

To permit the blade 7 to be readily operated by hand I provide an operating rod 12 which is rockably mounted transversely of the upper face of block 1 and is held against displacement by strap members 13. This rod is bent into substantially U- shape and is provided, at the outer end of each arm, with a gripping member or handle 14 of electrical insulating material. At its central portion rod 12 is bent to provide an elongated U-shaped element 15 which extends through a slot provided in the outer end of aplink 16 which extends through a slot 17 through block 1, this link being pivoted at its lower end, at 18, in a recess 19 provided for this purpose in arm 7 of blade ,7. With handles Min substantially horizontal position link 16`is depressed, arm 7 a of blade 7 being out of contact with jaws 6 of the adjacentsocket member 3 and arm 7b being raised into horizontal position.

In practicethe switch is installed in the mine so that the trolley wire 4 leading from the main passage is connected toV the socket member 3 at the'ri ht handend ofthe switch as considered in. -igs. 1 and 2, the trolley wire 4 which is connected to the socket .niember at the lett hand end ot the switch leading to a siding or passage in the mine which leads to the heading. rlhe trolley wheel of a mine locomotive traveling in the main pas age of the mine and desiring to enter a side passage will travel upon wire 4 toward t-he switch from the righthand end thereot' and will pass from socket member 3 onto arm 7*? ot blade after which the trolley wheel will contact with arm 7a raising the latter arm into horizontal position. This automatically connects socket member 8 at the lett hand end ot the switch to trolley wire 4 of the main passage so as to supply current to the trolley wire leading to the heading On return ot the locomotive arm 7b will be raised into its original position and arm 7 will be depressed thus automatically shutting oi'l the current to the trolley wire leading1 to the heading. This eftectually prevents any loss or leakage ot'current in the sidings or in passages leading to the heading. Y

By providing rod l2 and associated parts the switch blade 7 may be readily and sat'cly operated by hand tor connecting or disconnecting` a trolley wire leading to a heading to or from the trolley wire in the main passage. i his is ot particular importance in mines in which machines are used ttor cutting the coal. Coal cutting machines commonly in use are not provided with trolley poles and wheels it being` the practice, when it is desired to move the machine, to supply current to the motor by means ot a contact member which is mounted on a stick or rod or" electrical insulating material and is held by the operator in contact with the trolley wire. As the machine travels at comparatively slow speed, when the switch is reached blade 7 can be rocked so as to raise arm 7 into operative position by means ot handles ist and rod l2 thus permitting the machine to obtain current after it has traveled through a siding or passage to the heading. llhen the machine returns blade 7 may be rocked into its original position by means ot han\ dles ll and associated parts so as to cut on' 'the current from the trolley leading` to the heading. l thus provide a switch of very simple and highly etlicient construction which is automatically operated by the mine locomotives for supplying current to and cutting current oft from trolley wires leading into siding-s or passages and to the heading, this switch being also provided with means whereby it can be safely and easily operated by hand, the means for operating the switch by hand in no way interfering with its automat-ic operation by the trolley wheels oi the mine locomotives. By having the arms 7l and 7b of blade 7 disposed in angular relation and so arranged that when either arm is raised it is in horizontal position, l eliminate all unnecessary jars caused by the trolley wheel passing from the socket member 3 onto the adjacent raised arm of blade 7.

l/lf hat l claim is l. ln a switch of the character described, a base ot electrical insulating material, socket members mounted on the base and provided with contact elements, a blade rockably mounted intermediate its ends on the base and disposed to be moved into and out ot contact with the contact elements ot one of the socket members in accordance with rocking oi. said blade, the blade being provided with a member disposed to be in contact with the contact elements ot the other socket member at all times, and manually operated means mounted on said base tor rocking the blade in either direction.

2. ln a switch ot the character described, a base of electrical insulating material, socket members mounted on the base at each end thereof and each provided at its inner end with contact elements, a blade rockably mounted intermediate its ends between the socket members and disposed to be moved into and out of contact with the Contact elements oit one of the socket members in accordance with rocking oi the blade, said blade being provided with a contact memer at all times in contact with the contact elements ot the other socket member, and means mounted on the base for manually operating the blade.

3. In a switch ot the character described, a base of electrical insulating material, socket members mounted on the under tace of the base at each end thereof, 'each of said socket members being provided at its inner end with a contact element, a blade rockably mounted intermediate its ends on the under tace ot the block and operating in the plane ot said socket members, the blade including two connected arms disposed atv an upwardly directed obtuse angle such that either arm when raised is in alignment with its co-operating socket member, one of the arms ot the blade being provided with an upwardly projecting contact member disposed to at all times contact with the conta ct element of the adjacent socket member.

Il. ln a switch ot the character described, a base ot electrical insulating material, contact elements mounted on the under tace of the base at each end thereof, a switch blade rockably mounted intermediate its ends on the under face of t-he base and having one arm disposed to engage with the adjacent contact element when said arm is raised and to be moved out of contact with said adjacentcontact element when the arm is de pressed, the other arm of said blade being provided with a contact member disposed to at all times be in contact with the other contact element-means for connecting said contact elements to electrical conductors, an operating rod roekably mounted on the base, and connections between said rod and the switch blade for rocking the blade about its pivot in accordance With rocking of said rod.

In a switch of the character described, a base of electrical insulating material, oontact elements mounted on said base at each end thereof and adapted to be connected to electrical conductors, a switch blade roekably mounted intermediate its ends on the base between said Contact elements, one arm of the blade being disposed to be moved into and out of contact with the adj aoent contact elements in accordance with rocking of the blade and the other arm of said blade beingr provided With a Contact member disposed to at all times contact with the other contact elen'ients, an operating rod rookably mounted on the base, a link passing through the base and pivoted at its lower end to one arm of said blade, said rod being provided With a central angularly disposed element and with terminal angularly disposed elements, said central element being loosely inserted through the upper end of the link, and handles of electrical insulating material secured on the terminal angularly disposed elements of the rod.

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature.

CHARLES B. JENKINS. 

